2018 Lamborghini Huracan By Italdesign

More wings than an airport

Lambo introduced us to its Huracan hurricane in 2014 as a replacement for the seemingly endlessly popular Lamborghini Gallardo. With the Gallardo’s successful past looming large, the Huracan had some mighty big shoes to fill, tasked with becoming the Italian automaker’s best-selling model in the lineup. So far, the Huracan has done well in that regard, thanks in no small part to a surprising number of special edition models and limited runs. Now, joining the list is this new special edition from Italdesign, an engineering and design company based out of Moncalieri that decided the Raging Bull just wasn’t angry enough from the factory. As such, Italdesign gave the Huracan this wild-looking all-composite exterior treatment, transforming the Lambo into something that looks like it was plucked from an arcade racing game frequented by Ritalin-toting ADD cases. Only five will be produced, with production slated to stop by the end of the year.

Coinciding with the release of the limited-run Huracan, Italdesign, which has worked closely with Lambo in the past, is also introducing the Italdesign Automobili Speciali brand, so it’s likely we’ll see similar treatments sometime in the near future.

Italdesign says its upgraded Huracan is “intended for collectors and visionary enthusiasts, [and] it combines racing car features and performance alongside type-approval for use on normal roads.”

Sure thing, Italdesign. Because after all, who wouldn’t wanna drive a race-ready Lambo down to the shops for a quart of milk?

This customized Lambo will make its debut at the Geneva International Motor Show alongside an exclusive Excalibur Spider timepiece from watchmaker Roger Dubuis, signaling a collaborative partnership between the two companies. No price has been announced for the car, but rest assured it’s firmly in the “if you have to ask” category. As reference, the “normal” Lamborghini Huracan retails for about $230,000, give or take.

Continue reading to learn more about the Lamborghini Huracan By Italdesign.

What Makes The Lamborghini Huracan By Italdesign Special

Underneath that insane look is a modular chassis with lightweight materials like carbon fiber and aluminum, just like the regular Huracan production vehicle. The powertrain is also the same, with a naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V-10 mounted behind the cabin. And while Italdesign didn’t specify, that 10-cylinder most likely mates to the Huracan’s stock seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Output has not been announced either, but this thing probably produces the same 602 horsepower at 8,250 rpm and 413 pound-feet of torque at 6,500 rpm. All that output should hit the ground through a high-performance AWD system.

The body is made from 100 percent carbon fiber.

The body is made from 100 percent carbon fiber. No word on whether or not Italdesign’s new style makes a dent in the Huracan’s 3,135-pound curb weight, though.

Either way, acceleration looks like 0-to-100 km (0-to-62 mph) in 3.2 seconds, with top speed clocking in at over over 330 km/h (205 mph).

Engine:

Mid-/rear-mounted naturally aspirated 5.2-liter V-10

0-to-62 mph time:

3.2 seconds

Top speed:

205 mph

In terms of size, the Italdesign Huracan appears to be a bit bigger than the stock vehicle, as seen in the graph shown below –

Lamborghini Huracan by Italdesign

Lamborghini Huracan

Length (Inches)

190.82

175.55

Width (Inches)

77.55

75.74

Height (Inches)

47.40

45.86

The look is supposedly both stylistic and functional, as Italdesign says the exterior pulls from the Italian Gran Turismo tradition for the smoother top portions, while aerodynamic modeling influences the lower sections.
“To achieve the performances we had in mind, we had to dare beyond all limits from styling and even purely technical points of view,” says Filippo Perini, Head of Innovation Design in the attached press release. “The outcome ensures extremely high impact without even being design for design’s sake.”

In creating the Lambo’s new skin, Italdesign employed something it calls “simultaneous engineering,” whereby both the designers and engineers work side-by-side in order to balance form with function. The company says this technique was developed over the course of the company’s 50-year history.

While I can’t really comment on what this upgrade is supposed to do for the downforce performance, given Italdesign neglected to provide any specifics, I can talk about the way it looks, and to my eye, it’s just not doing it for me.

The design process involved a host of influences and tools, including computer aided design and other simulation tech. “Styling has been integrated since the very beginning with early engineering and production processes,” says Antonio Casu, Chief Technical Officer at Italdesign. “All this allowed us to produce a state-of-the-art car in terms of performance and safety.”

Finally, the company also adds that customers will have a wide variety of customization options at their disposal, both in terms of exterior styling and performance.

While I can’t really comment on what this upgrade is supposed to do for the downforce performance, given Italdesign neglected to provide any specifics, I can talk about the way it looks, and to my eye, it’s just not doing it for me. The whole thing is just way too busy and disjointed to look good, with an overabundance of vents, wings, vortex generators, and superfluous lines.

Sometimes, the uber-busy tech look works, but this is unfortunately not one of those cases. I feel like I need to catch my breath after looking at just three photos.

Sometimes, the uber-busy tech look works, but this is unfortunately not one of those cases. I feel like I need to catch my breath after looking at just three photos.

Not only that, but it would have been nice if Italdesign did something with the car’s mechanical bits. Hell, even an exhaust would have satisfied me.

But perhaps I’m overreacting. We’ll know for sure when we get a better look at this thing in the metal when it shows up in Geneva next month.

Press Release

After announcing the launch of the new “Italdesign Automobili Speciali” brand, the Moncalieri-based company presents its first ultra-limited series car with only five units to be built by the end of 2017.

Intended for collectors and visionary enthusiasts, it combines racing car features and performance alongside type-approval for use on normal roads.

Developed around a modular chassis in carbon fibre and aluminium, this special car boasts a powerful naturally aspirated 5.2 litre V10 engine which enables 0-100 km/h acceleration in just 3.2 seconds, together with a top speed in excess of 330 km/h. The bodywork is entirely in carbon fibre. The car measures 4847 millimetres in length by 1970 millimetres in width by 1204 millimetres in height.

“The exterior is characterised by the two sides of the same medal,” said Filippo Perini, Head of Innovation Design : “above the tornado line, outlines are distinctly softer and smoother in keeping with the Italian Gran Turismo tradition. The lower part is modelled from aerodynamics. To achieve the performances we had in mind, we had to dare beyond all limits from styling and even purely technical points of view. The
outcome
ensures extremely high impact without ever being design for design’s sake”.

Right from the first style draft, the Styling Centre and the Engineering Department implemented what is defined as simultaneous engineering, a work method developed and perfected by Italdesign way back at the end of the 1960s and constantly improved over the company’s fifty-year history.

Designers and engineers work almost simultaneously to carry forward styling solutions and functional-feasibility checks until an ideal compromise is achieved that meets design and performance requirements alike.

“The development of the one-off was based on the know-how achieved in the designing of hundreds of cars in our 49-years history – Italdesign Chief Technical Officer Antonio Casu, said. “To reach the timing target we applied the latest CAx and Simulation Technologies. Styling has been integrated since the very beginning with early engineering and production processes. All this allowed us to produce a state-of-the-art car in terms of performance and safety.”

“We put it our best skills into the production of the first car – Massimo Bovi, Head of Pre- Series Center added – using some of the finest productions methods and engaging our high skilled workers. At the same time we engaged deeply in the latest technologies in electric and electronics. Therefore this first car is showcasing our expertise gained in our history. It is also an invitation to all of our clients to see us in our facility”.

Customers will be able to customise their cars to the utmost thanks to finishing and performance packages.

“Important for us was to run this project based on our development and production process for Ultra Low Series Cars – Massimo Martinotti, Head of Project Management and Business Development, stated. With this and a precise milestone tracking we achieve an outstanding quality and a very short time to market. We think that we can set with this process as a benchmark that we are looking forward to repeating for all current or future OEM customers”.

The world launch of the car signs also a collaboration between Italdesign and Geneva watchmaker Roger Dubuis to create an exclusive eight-piece, proudly Italian collection of the brand’s iconic Excalibur Spider wristwatch.

The car was conceived, designed and built in Italy in the Italdesign factory in Moncalieri (Turin).